April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. This morning I spent some time watching Temple Grandin videos on Youtube. I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Grandin speak at a conference in Calgary a few years ago, and I have read some of her books. I love her message that the world needs all types of minds, and that we need to build on the unique talents that people with autism have. If you haven't already, check out the movie about her life starring Claire Danes. She has such an amazing mind, and her ability to articulate her experience allows those of us who love someone with autism to perhaps understand them a little bit more.
Something I try to do as a teacher is use my students' unique interests to motivate them in learning. As parents, you know your child best, and can hopefully use your child's interests to help support your at-home learning journey! Something we do at school is try to gather a running list of student interests that we can use as motivators. For example, student A may like cause and effect toys, m&m chocolates, and high fives. We use those motivators to support us in encouraging student A to participate in non-preferred activities, like toilet training or sitting at their desk to do some work. Remember that everyone is motivated by something! Adults go to work everyday for a paycheque, not just out of the goodness of their hearts... So, before you ask your kid to do something challenging at home, think, what is their currency? It will help your child buy-in to doing those not-so-fun things in life! 😊
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